Damage contained to kitchens in separate fires
Brian Schaeffer, Assistant Fire Chief, 509.625.7002
Saturday, June 6, 2015 at 9:29 p.m.
Two separate kitchen fires caused by food being left unattended on stoves kept firefighters busy and caused minor damage, but no one was injured. The Spokane Fire Department reminds citizens that leaving unattended items on the stove is a leading cause of house fires.
The fires occurred 90 minutes apart on Friday night. Cooking oil left unattended on the stove top caused the first fire at 7:00 pm in a four-unit apartment complex at 723 W. Carlisle.
Fire spread to the cabinets above the stove and some adjacent furnishings. The fire displaced occupants of the fire unit and the tenant in an adjacent apartment due to damages to the electrical system that made both apartments uninhabitable. Red Cross responded to assist the displaced occupants find housing for the evening.
As fire units cleared the fire on Carlisle they were dispatched to a second cooking-related fire at approximately 8:30 pm in a two-story apartment unit at 6109 N. Colton. Fire units contained the second fire to the stove top and there was no extension to the surrounding area or structure. The fire department was able to adequately clear smoke from the fire unit and the adjacent apartments and no individuals were displaced.
Total damage was estimated at $5,100.
